I asked Providian today if they would lower my credit line by $500 since my apr would not be lowered. The rep said no and explained that the computer set the credit line which was the authoritative decision of credit lines on all accounts. Close your account with this company! They want credit debtness up your ass! David
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn Providian seems to be changing back to the way they did business 2-3 years ago, at that time they were another CROOKS COUNTRY BANK. Shafting customers left and right, it's ashame they were starting to get a good rep as a decent sub-prime card even with their higher rates. Just what everybody needs another CROOKS COUNTRY BILK.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn Unfortunately, when you deal with a company as large as Providian, you are bound to speak to a representative that is not very helpful. I work for a major telecommunications company & although there are many caring & qualified customer service reps, you do have some bad apples in the bunch. I would suggest you ask to speak to a supervisor regarding your issue instead of writing the company off. Better yet, call their customer hotline @ 800 964-6000. This number is for customers who have not received a resolution to their concern at the customer service level. Hope this is of some help. Good luck!
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn miles, I can only hope that your rite. But I've seen alot more posts lately from different people concerning the changing of providians attitude on various issues. I'm concerned as are others than providian is reverting back to the way they did business a few years ago. Davids post is not the first one I've seen. Several have been complaints about supervisors, and the fact that providian is not as helpful at helping their longtime customers that have always paid on time and more than minimum. I hope this is just a stage their going through, and not a direction to their old ways.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn I've often wondered if Providian had changed since I did business with them several years ago. Convinced that they probably had changed for the better, I advised my daughter, who is rebuilding her damaged credit, to apply by phone. She was approved with a $750 limit. About a week later, she received a letter from Providian, stating that they could not send her a card because the phone number she provided was invalid. They claimed they had called and could not verify it. Because her phone number is valid and has never been disconnected, she called customer service, and they advised her to write to the processing center in Oakland, CA and send copies of their letter, her phone bill, her driver's license, and her social security card. She did this on May 3, and she has received no response from them so far, nor has she received a refund for her $49 processing fee. Something smells rotten in the state of Denmark! I'm really hoping they will find some other reason to turn her down because I'm afraid she could be getting into something she will regret, and I will feel like hell for convincing her to get into it. On the bright side of Providian, I sold my battered stock in Bank One and bought 500 shares in Providian. I must say that it's paid off quite nicely!
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn This "hotline" number is for Platinum customers not Classic. I called it and was told to dial 800 356-0011, the same number where the rep told me today that she could close my account if I chose to because my apr and credit limit could not be lowered. miles wrote: ------------------------------- Unfortunately, when you deal with a company as large as Providian, you are bound to speak to a representative that is not very helpful. I work for a major telecommunications company & although there are many caring & qualified customer service reps, you do have some bad apples in the bunch. I would suggest you ask to speak to a supervisor regarding your issue instead of writing the company off. Better yet, call their customer hotline @ 800 964-6000. This number is for customers who have not received a resolution to their concern at the customer service level. Hope this is of some help. Good luck!
RE: Can a crook change their s Actually, up until late last summer when Providian finally admitted 'some' liability they were considered far worse than Crooks Country Bank and had the much longer message threads to prove it. The main reason was they were screwing ALL their customers both the 10% sub-prime and 90% prime, that was their BIG MISTAKE, as they discovered via a number of (still ongoing) investigations and class action lawsuits that you can't screw around and dump on people with good credit and resources as is typical in the sub-prime world without repurcussions; First USA has yet to learn that lesson. The reason that it will be different 'this time' is they took away the attention from the disgraced Providian name and brought forth the Aria brand. Basically splitting the company into two camps 1. The prime Platinum and Platinum Premium cards 2. The sub and sub sub prime Portrait and Personna cards Though when I say it will be 'different' I mean only for the prime customers. Having classified and segregated the sub-primers away all indications point to the same "crooked" business as usual. Prepare to 'bend over'
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn What a load of crap! To put someone through that kind of rigamarole because they couldn't 'verify' the phone number. If she called their 800# from the phone that she listed on the application, they would get her phone number from the Automatic Number Identification systems that are part of any toll-free service. If she applied by phone from her home, they would have gotten the number right then and there. You can't use caller-ID blocking when you call an 800 number. The theory is that if they are paying for the call, they are entitled to your phone number. This is the kind of behavior you would expect from a bank like Providian, who likes to prey on people that have made errors with their credit before. Make them jump through all kinds of hoops and send in all sorts of extraneous information, and maybe some more money too. Experian tried to pull that crap with me because they don't have my phone number on record and the only address in their files is a PO Box so they went on a fishing expedition and wanted me to send in all sorts of other stuff to prove who I was despite the fact they'd mailed me a credit report by calling their toll-free number and punching buttons into their automated response system. I wrote them back and told them I already had the credit report and was disputing items and they were just stalling and they only had the 30 days from when I sent my original letter. They backed down. Furthermore, Social Security Cards have printed right on the front of them "Not to be used for Identification."
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn That's got to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. A bank declining to lower someone's credit limit. In fact, I think it might be illegal, especially if they've given you any credit line increases that you didn't specifically ask for. If you really want the credit line reduced, try writing them a letter and requesting it instead of talking to some thimble brained CSR who fed you that line because they probably didn't know how to process your request to lower your credit line on their workstation. Either that or call them back and ask for a credit line increase of -$500.00. They'll probably spend an hour trying to figure that one out.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn Sorry David. That number is listed on their web page under customer satisfaction. I think you should call the regular customer service number & ask to speak to a supervisor.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn I tried calling Customer Service once to have my apr lowered but they fed me some BS line so later that same month I called and told them to close my account, so they switched me to the department that handles that and they "reviewed" my account instead and lowered my apr. Try doing that, a CSR can't do anything because they don't know anything (I swear they have a script to read). My sister was also successfull using this. Be polite but firm when making your request. I think it is pathetic that they won't lower your limit at YOUR request. Good luck!
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn It's terribly unfortunate that you can post a message and write as though you are coming from a place of knowledge. If you had any clue, you would know that call center reps work off an automated system called a dialer that does not necessarily display anything. In fact, many companies feel that the customer's information is so confidential that they limit the phone reps ability to access customer information. I am quite certain that the phone rep had nothing but a blank screen in front of them when they received the girl's call. While it is unfortunate that the young lady had a bad experience with attempting to apply for her first credit card, it would be rediculous to think that there is some conspiracy to complicate this little girls life for $49. My advice mame, is to relalize that mistakes happen and you should simply escalate your situation to a supervisor. Everyone knows that with competition the way it is, aquiring new customers gets more and more difficult. It is the main goal of any large corporation to develop a good relationship with all it's customers. Sometimes things just don't work out the way they were planned.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn Make sure you read your account agreement. Sometimes it is written that they may increase your limit from time to time based on your performance history. While you may not agree with this practice, it may be well within the rights of the card issuer. Each time you use your card you agree to all the terms and conditions that are associated with your card. Most people do not have an understanding of their card terms.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn This obvious mistake from Providian isn't exactly what makes me suspicious of them. Back when I did business with them, not once did I suspect them of crooked practices. Nonetheless, their mistakes were never-ending. At least every three months, I encountered major billing errors. This included mysterious charges, over-the-limit fees when I was hundreds of dollars away from reaching my credit limit, late fees when my payments were posted on time, and all sorts of screwed-up fees. Fortunately, they owned up to every single mistake and corrected it, but it took hours on the phone, being transferred to every incorrect department possible, and getting different answers from every person I spoke to. When I closed that account, I had a perfect credit history with Providian, but I worked like hell to keep it that way. They were simply the most disorganized operation I've ever encountered. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed, hoping they've cleaned up their act and straightened out their mess. Incidentally, I've only had problems with two other credit card companies. One was Cross Country Bank, and they actually were a bunch of theives. Still, I stayed on them, so that I came out of that situation unblemished. The other was Wells Fargo, which is my absolute favorite (I still have an account with them). I once had an incorrect charge appear on my Mastercard statement. Just one brief phone call took care of it once and for all.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn Doris, I agree with you on Wells Fargo. They were a tremendous help to me dealing with Cross Country and made them do things by the book when I used Wells' on-line bill pay service. For $5 a month, it's like having insurance that your payments to lousy outfits like Cross Country will be posted in 5 business days. I highly recommend WF and remain a loyal customer.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn john wrote: ------------------------------- It's terribly unfortunate that you can post a message and write as though you are coming from a place of knowledge. If you had any clue, you would know that call center reps work off an automated system called a dialer that does not necessarily display anything. In fact, many companies feel that the customer's information is so confidential that they limit the phone reps ability to access customer information. I am quite certain that the phone rep had nothing but a blank screen in front of them when they received the girl's call. ----------------- What's unfortunate it that you don't know the difference between an in-bound and an out-bound call center. The former is typically a customer service operation and the latter is typically a telemarketing operation. The outbound call center uses auto-dialers (which typically dial 3-6 phone numbers at once and who ever answers first is the lucky recipient of the pitch and are also the source of a vast majority of the 'hang-up' calls that people get) and depending on the product or service being pushed could present the telemarketer with a wealth or information about the prospect or very little. An inbound call center (which is the type of call center in question) computer system typically provides a CSR with a great deal of information about the person calling in, so they can help them. An inbound call-center is a big expense to a bank and they want to get you off the phone as quickly as they can. This is why you get bizarre excuses and stories from CSRs. They're being pressured to turn over as many calls as they can an hour and the last thing they want to deal with is someone with a complicated problem. There may be some customer information that only a manager can access, but typically a CSR can see the person's whole account history. In some cases the ANI (Automatic Number Identification) system will pick the caller's number and display the customer's file on the reps screen when the call gets routed to them so they can greet the caller by name and have their purchase history right there. I think that's rather creepy. LLBean uses this kind of system. This is exactly how credit card activation works. On the stickers they usually emphasize calling from your HOME phone so they can match the number picked from ANI against the telephone number they have on file. If you call from work or another phone, you will get sent to a live rep who will grill you and play 20 questions before they will activate the card and then try to sell you a travel club membership or talk you into a cash advance. My point was that the nonsense about not being able to 'verify' the phone number was just that, nonsense, considering the technology that's available in modern call centers. If she called in (and she did "apply by phone" according to the post, as opposed to sitting around waiting to be telemarketed) they would have had the phone number immediately available to them to verify. When she called to find out what was going on, the phone number was available and it could have been taken care of right then without have to send in all sorts of documentation, including her third grade report card. Oh, and yes, I do have a clue.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn When people call an 800 # to apply for a credit card you DO NOT get the callers phone #. I work for a credit card company and we take phone applications all day. The only thing we get is a blank screen. The callers name and phone # are displayed if they already have an account, not if they are calling to open one.
RE: The other side Hi Lena, Its always interesting getting the take from the 'other side'. Tell me is taking new applications your sole responsibility or do you deal with current cardholders? If so, if a client called in saying something like "In my latest statement their is a late fee but I sent in my payment via certified mail with return receipt requested; the receipt I received and verified by the post office shows that this letter arrived 10 days before the due date, furthermore, I have a copy of my returned cheque which shows your company cashed this cheque 9 days before the due date, moreover my bank manager will vouch that these funds cleared my account and were cashed by your company" What would be your response? Would it come from a ready-made script? In some companies (such as First USA) the reps are instructed to blame the post office, the bank or the individual is it that way at yours? Are you in a rush to get him off the line? Are there supervisors timing and monitoring your performance? Are you penalized if you pass any client through to a supervisor? Furthermore, are those same superviors or even managers threatening your job if you don't comply to the letter? We hear many complaints here daily but rarely the counterpoint (and no, I'm not including some obvious trolls masquerading as Cross Country Bank representatives). Let me assure you whatever your willing to supply will be sure to enlighten everybody here on this board.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn Quite likely that's true, but the technology is there to provide the number. Likely your employer has decided not to spend the money on IT systems to enable that technology and integrate it with the application entry/processing system. Even if the number does not appear on your workstation, the telephone number does get passed. Even if you don't see it, the person who deals with the in-bound WATS phone bill at you employer sees it. A (hypothetical) sophisticated system will capture the phone number and then look it up to see if it's listed. Once it had the address of service, it would access Acxiom's demographics data base and tell the rep the demographics of the caller's specific neighborhood, and other psychographic information such as if anyone in that household is a catalog shopper, habitual contest entrant, what magazines they subscribe to, their hobbies (if they've filled out warranty card or other surveys) etc, and alot of other information. Most people don't realize how much of that kind of information is collect, stored, digitized, analyzed, and scrutinized by marketing data base companies and available for sale to whoever will pay for it. Consider that the next time you are about to send in the UPCs and coupons for a rebate for an over the counter treatment of some potentially embarrassing medical condition. Guess where that information winds up? With that kind of info in hand, the potential customer can be steered towards different products based on the information contained in the data bases. Up-scale demographics? Tell them about the platinum card or the travel rewards card. Middle-class? The card with the easy payments that barely puts a dent in the balance because of the high interest rate. Slum? You'll want to tell them about the secured card with all of the application fees, and participation fees, and the high-cost insurance plan that will pay their bill if they become unemployed. This can all be done on-line and very quickly with the technology that's available now, provided the company wants to make the investment in it. Even if the number is not listed, the general location can be ascertained by the area code and exchange. While not as specific as getting the exact address it can be quite revealing. It would certainly distinguish if the person was calling from trendy West LA or some crime-ridden barrio of East LA. The nefarious part of this is that it's likely the management of such a call center would make sure that callers from up-scale locations and neighborhoods would get professional, courteous treatment and those from the wrong side of the tracks would get disconnected frequently, or have their call routed to the reps in training who will offer them the bottom of the barrel deal, voicemail-hell, or perpetual hold. Most call centers do not have anything nearly this sophisticated, but as there is increasing pressure on cutting costs and raising return on investment, such systems will likely be deployed over the next several years.
RE: Providian's Push for Debtn Most often when you call an 800-number to apply for a credit card (or are called by a telemarketer) this is usually handled by an outside firm. Very few credit card companies have depts dedicated to handling inbound new application calls. Credit card companies send out offers to customers in "campaigns". This means that they usually send mass mailings to potential customers 4-8 times a year. This causes peaks and valleys in their new app call volume throughout the year. Thus, they contract outside firms to take these calls at various remote sites. These outside firms rarely ever have ANI. And even the ones that do have ANI (and also the companies that don't outsoure this work) don't utilize ANI for new applications that come into the 800-number. ANI is typically used in C/S centers that utilize CTI for a "screen-pop" which allow reps to reduce the number of pieces of verification obtain from the cardholder verbally. ANI is typically used at a high-level by Marketing depts to gauge what regions are responding to campaigns by analyzing the Area Codes & NSX.
